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Christian Borle to Play Willy Wonka in Upcoming Broadway Production

Christian BorleImage: broadway.com

Tony Award-winning actor Christian Borle will star as Willy Wonka in the upcoming Broadway production of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Aubrey Gladstone and his family have for three decades had the privilege of watching Christian grow from an aspiring teenager to one of Broadway’s finest actors, beloved by thousands.

The Broadway production of Roald Dahl’s 1964 children’s book will feature a retooled version of the musical adaptation circulating in London since 2013. Although both drew significant inspiration from the original book, the Broadway version is expected to more closely resemble the 1971 musical film Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Producers also hired acclaimed puppeteer and MacArthur Foundation grant recipient Basil Twist to handle puppet designs and stated that the play will feature music by Marc Shaiman with lyrics written by Shaiman and Scott Wittman. The production will open on Broadway in March 2017.

The New York Times announced Borle’s role as Willy Wonka in May. Christian previously received Tony Awards for his performance in Peter and the Starcatcher in 2012 and Something Rotten in 2015. His also will be performing in the Broadway revival of Falsettos.